


The Darkness Speaks, Has Eyes To see

by xXdreameaterXx



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-08-02
Packaged: 2018-04-12 15:46:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4485355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xXdreameaterXx/pseuds/xXdreameaterXx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being bitten by a venomous creature Clara temporarily goes blind and relies on the Doctor to take care of her. But neither of them expected what impact the loss of her sight would have on the closeness of their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Darkness Speaks, Has Eyes To see

The thing came out of nowhere. One moment Clara had been walking along the jungle path, the Doctor just a few steps ahead of her, explaining to her the nature and origin of this planet and then it had attacked her, jumped at her from out of the bushes and before Clara could react she was lying on the ground. It was enormous and heavy and its carapace offered her no chance to defend herself against the creature. Clara could hear the Doctor calling her name, she must have screamed when it had attacked. When the creature opened its mouth, showing a row of very sharp teeth Clara cried out for help, desperately trying to push the thing off. It was stronger and the Doctor didn't come to her aid. This would be the end of her, Clara was certain, so she closed her eyes right as the creature buried its teeth in her arms. She cried out in pain and fright.

And suddenly it was over. 

“Are you alright?” The Doctor asked her, “It's okay, Clara. The Apolloch is gone.”   
His hands grabbed her shoulders tightly and only then did Clara dare to open her eyes again. She blinked a few times, but the view didn't change.   
“Doctor, what's going on?” she asked him, her hands darting forward to where she assumed the Doctor must be and found the fabric of jacket.  
“What do you mean?” There was something odd in his voice that she couldn't place.  
“Why is everything dark? Where's the sun gone?” Clara demanded to know. She cocked her head in his direction so as to not miss his answer. But there never was one. At first she was only suspicious, then Clara could feel a knot slowly tighten inside her stomach and it was growing worse with every second the Doctor failed to say something.   
She squeezed his arm and pulled herself into a sitting position, her heart pounding quickly now. The horrible realisation of it had finally struck her. The world hadn't suddenly gone dark. She couldn't see.  
“Doctor, answer me! Why can't I see?” she almost yelled at him, her voice suddenly panic-fuelled. She was blind and he knew something.   
“Clara,” he said quietly, his hands on her shoulders shifting slightly, “Stay calm.”  
She struggled free from his grip, slapping his arms out of the way.   
“Talk to me! Tell me what's wrong! Why can't I see?!”  
Nausea started to creep up inside her. She felt sick and her eyes were beginning to water and she just wanted to scream and cry and kick him until the Doctor finally told her the truth. She had been so sure that he was still the Doctor. At first she had doubted him but he had proven that he would never truly abandon her, especially not after Christmas and everything they had been through since. But now everything was black and the Doctor remained silent.  
Clara struggled to stand up and only now noticed a sharp pain in her arm. Right. That was where the creature had bitten her.   
“Clara, I told you to stay calm,” the Doctor's hands were on her shoulders again, keeping her from standing up, “Everything's gonna be fine. This isn't permanent.”  
Turning her head to where she thought the Doctor was, Clara stared at him, or she imagined staring at him because for her the world was pitch-black night.   
“The Apolloch is a very shy creature, they only attack when they feel threatened. We must have passed their nest,” he explained, his voice entirely calm, “They are venomous, but they only stun their enemies long enough to get themselves and their young to safety. I'm so sorry it hurt you, but you will be fine.”  
Clara listened to him and when she was sure he had finished nodded quietly.   
“We should get back to the TARDIS and take a look at that bite. Okay?”  
She nodded again and a moment later Clara could feel the Doctor's arms wrapping around her and he swept her up and carried her back the way they had come from. She felt so tired all of a sudden, maybe a side effect of the Apolloch venom, maybe because the shock of the attack and the aftermath of it was slowly starting to wear off. Closing her eyes, she nestled her head against the Doctor's chest and started to drift off.

 

**OOO**

 

When Clara woke up again the surface on which she was lying seemed surprisingly soft. She opened her eyes, but she could still make out nothing but endless dark. Her hands started to feel the fabric of the bed and to her relief it was familiar to her touch. Clara was in her bedroom in the TARDIS, lying in her own bed.  
“You're awake,” the Doctor's voice said to her left.   
By habit she turned her head towards him but realized it was futile. It didn't matter where her head turned or whether she had her eyes open or closed. To her it made no difference at all.  
“How long have I been sleeping?” she asked him and only now noticed how dry her throat felt. She was so thirsty.   
“Almost 12 hours,” he replied, “How are you feeling?”  
Clara sat up in her bed. “I still can't see. And I'm thirsty.”  
“Oh, hold on.”  
She could hear rustling coming from where the Doctor was and a few moments later he had taken her hand and pressed a small water bottle into it.   
Clara thanked him, opened the bottle and emptied it in one go.  
“I took care of your arm,” the Doctor explained to her as she drank, “Bandaged it. Should be as good as new soon.”  
“How long is this gonna last?” Clara asked him, “When will I be able to see again?”  
“It's hard to say, but it shouldn't take too long. A week, two at tops.”  
Clara sighed audible. A week or two. She could live with that. It was much better than the initial scare of being permanently blind.   
“Your sight will come back gradually. First you'll be able to tell light from dark, later make out vague shapes. At the end you will see like a nearsighted person would before everything returns to normal. Just be patient.”  
She nodded.   
“I still feel tired,” Clara admitted.   
“It's the venom,” the Doctor explained, “Makes you sleepy. You should get the rest you need. Here is something. . .”  
The Doctor reached for her hand again and put something inside it.  
“What is it?” she wanted to know, examining the curious object with her fingers.  
“It's sort of a bell. Press the button and I will hear it in every room of the TARDIS. Press it whenever you need something and I will be with you in less than a minute.”

 

**OOO**

 

The next time Clara woke up it was because of a sound of something dropping to the floor. She opened her eyes sleepily and the memories of recent events came back to her. She felt thirsty again. And also very, very hungry. How long had she been asleep this time? Another 12 hours? A day? Two? Her hands wandered over the blanket, searching for the bell the Doctor had given her, but there was nothing except for the fabric of her blanket. Clara realized that it must have been the object dropping on the floor that woke her up and she uttered a groan. She somehow doubted she would be able to find it.  
“Doctor!” Clara called out for him, hoping he would hear her, but there was no response. She tried again with the same outcome.   
Throwing away the covers Clara sat up in bed and carefully touched the ground with her feet. Cautiously she went down on her knees and started feeling for the lost bell. Her hands grabbed something, but it only turned out to be the empty water bottle. It was pointless, Clara soon realized. The floor was too smooth. After falling from the bed the thing could have slid away to any point in the room and unless she was willing to spend the next few hours searching every single centimetre of the room the bell was lost to her for now. Clara sighed.   
It was going to be alright, it was only the TARDIS. A few turns and she would reach the console room like she had done hundreds of times. She could do it if she kept one hand on the walls of the corridors.   
Clara carefully pulled herself up and started crossing her bedroom with outstretched arms to where she thought the door must be. The first thing she would ask of the Doctor would be to get her some kind of white stick. Finally her hands found a barrier, yet it wasn't the door she had expected but the wall. Feeling a bit to the left and right Clara eventually found the door handle after all and stepped onto the corridor.   
As soon as she had left her room Clara could hear the gurgling sounds coming from the TARDIS console room. She had never before realized that it could be heard that far, but then again, she had never relied on her hearing as much before. With one hand steady on the wall she made her way in the general direction of the console room step by step. 

A few minutes passed before Clara thought that she might have already missed the first turn she had to take when suddenly something inside her told her to stop and stay still. She obeyed the inner voice and carefully outstretched one foot that immediately bumped into something. Clara carefully knelt down and examined the object with her hands. It appeared to be the Doctor's toolbox that he has used to repair a few damages on the corridor pipes. She pushed the box out of the way and got back on her feet, feeling the wall to find the first turn she had to take. As soon as she was around the corner the usual sounds the TARDIS made seemed louder.  
Something occurred to her. Could it be that the TARDIS had told Clara about the obstacle in her way? She knew that the Doctor's time machine had a telepathic circuit. Maybe she had sensed that Clara was in need of help?  
Feeling somehow that the TARDIS was watching over her Clara moved more confidently along the corridors now, always following the familiar sounds until she had finally reached her destination.  
“Clara, what are you doing out of bed?” the Doctor's worried voice called out and she soon felt him taking her by the arm and leading her to the console unit, “I gave you a bell, why didn't you use it?”  
“I dropped it. Couldn't find it,” Clara explained, feeling for the rim of the console and holding tight, “Don't worry about me. I think, . . .”  
Clara began but she wasn't sure if what she was about to say sounded stupid.  
“What?” the Doctor demanded.  
“I think the TARDIS led me here. Is that possible?”  
There was a moment of silence before she could hear the Doctor's voice again.  
“Ohhhhh, you clever, old girl,” he exclaimed excitedly.   
There was a sound coming from right next to her that Clara couldn't quite place. She wrinkled her forehead.  
“Doctor, did you just kiss your TARDIS?” she asked him suspiciously.  
“Maybe. Maybe not. You will never know. Are you hungry? There is food in the kitchen. I thought you would wake up soon so I prepared something just in case.”  
“Yes, I'm starving,” Clara said, very relieved at the prospect of food, “Also a bath would be nice. I feel like I've slept for a week.”  
“You were out for a day. Well, one and a half. The worst should be over now. Maybe you will regain your sight sooner than expected.”  
“That would be nice. Being blind is kind of boring,” Clara admitted, “I guess adventures are off the table for the time being.”  
“Not necessarily,” the Doctor said, “I know of a thing or two that is more something for the ears than the eyes. Really, Oods sound prettier when you don't see them.”  
“What are Oods?” Clara asked and felt the Doctor taking her arm again.  
“I'll explain later. First: food.”  
Clara chuckled at the Doctor's excitement. This regeneration seemed to love food and wasn't limited to fish fingers and custard only. One thing that he didn't like however was touching. After Christmas he had started to get used to it, but he still wasn't a big fan. It surprised Clara a little that he was now touching her without hesitation. Of course, she couldn't see his face, maybe he looked tormented the entire time but she didn't believe it, not really. She depended on him now, so maybe her injury had forced him to overcome his aversion of physical contact. As the Doctor led her to the TARDIS kitchen Clara tightly held on to his arm, enjoying how close he was and hoping he wouldn't stop as soon as she was able to see again. 

 

**OOO**

 

“Here, you should wear this,” the Doctor told her and shortly after something very heavy touched her shoulders. Clara felt something furry tickle her cheeks.  
“Is that a winter coat?” she asked curiously.  
“The warmest I could find. I wore this at some point, when I was younger.”  
“Oh God, it's that horrible eye-cancer causing thing, isn't it?”  
“I don't know what you're talking about.”  
“Yes, you do. It's that clown coat. You put in me in your clown coat,” Clara said accusingly. Even if she couldn't see it others sure as hell could and she didn't want to be caught dead in it. And God forbid someone took a picture.  
“Oh,” the Doctor muttered, “That coat. Don't worry, Clara. It's not that coat. This one's brown and furry.”  
Clara frowned at him. “I really hope you're not lying to me just to get a funny picture out of it.”  
“I'm not lying to you,” the Doctor suddenly sounded impatient, “Now, please, can we go before the snow melts?”

Clara extended her arm as a sign to indicate to the Doctor that she was ready. He took it without hesitation and led her outside of the TARDIS. The first thing she felt was an agonizing cold. A sharp wind blew through every possible hole in her clothes and she immediately leaned closer to the Doctor for warmth, though it was pointless as she soon realized. The Doctor's body temperature was one of the things she had never really paid attention to while she could see, but relying only on sounds and touch made her realize that he felt colder than a human being. It wasn't unpleasant, but noticeable.  
The second thing Clara noticed was a change she had been waiting for since she had woken up from her long sleep.  
“Doctor,” she grabbed his arm more tightly and stopped walking, “I think it's brighter.”  
“You can tell the difference?” his voice sounded hopeful.  
“Just a little, but yes. It seems brighter than a moment ago.”  
“That is great!” the Doctor said excitedly, “It means you're making progress. 3 – 4 days I think and you should start seeing outlines. But for now, hold still.”  
Clara didn't move. She flinched a little as the Doctor pushed something onto her face and the brightness she had noticed a moment ago was gone again.  
“You should wear my sunglasses out here. The sun and snow really are bright. Don't want to stress out your eyes too much.”

“It's been a long time, Doctor,” a mechanical sounding voice suddenly said. At first Clara didn't know what to make of it, but it seemed to be friendly.  
“Yes, it has,” the Doctor replied, “Good to see you, Ood Sigma.”  
His voice sounded heavy with the sound of the past and Clara was suddenly reminded again that the Doctor had lived and travelled for 2000 years without her. He had lived so many lives that she had only caught glimpses of.   
“Good to see you to, Doctor and his companion.”  
“I'm Clara,” she introduced herself to the Ood.  
“The Ood are a very peaceful race that have endured slavery all over the galaxy. This planet is their safe haven now, has been for quite some time,” the Doctor explained to her, “This is Ood Sigma, one of their leaders and an old friend.”  
“We owe you everything, Doctor.”  
“Now that you mention it, yes, you do. And I was wondering if Clara and I could visit your temple? She's had an accident and can't see at the moment, so I wanted to show her something beautiful that she can listen to,” the Doctor asked.  
“You know you are always welcome here. And so are your friends. Please, follow me,” the Ood said and Clara started to hear the sound of footsteps.

“What do they look like?” Clara asked in a low voice.  
“It's better you don't know,” the Doctor replied quietly.  
“Why?”  
The Ood had apparently overheard them because he walked back in their direction spoke directly to Clara now. “I can show you, if you like.”  
She felt a gloved hand taking hers and guiding her to his face. Clara could feel the cold skin of a bald head, a little pointier than that of a human. It was slightly wrinkled, she noticed as she moved her hand down his face and . . .  
“Ew,” Clara jerked back in disgust.  
“I warned you,” the Doctor said, “Tentacles.”  
“I'm so sorry,” Clara apologized immediately, “That was just a little unexpected. I, I didn't mean to insult you.”  
“It's alright,” the Ood reassured her, “Not being able to see must be difficult.”  
“It is, actually. Oh, one question. What colour is my coat?”  
She heard the Doctor groan next to her and she was very sure that he had just rolled his eyes at her.   
“It is brown, Miss Clara,” the Ood told her.  
“Good,” Clara said, “Now we can go.”

She couldn't say for how long they walked but Clara's feet felt increasingly numb. She didn't want to complain because she had already insulted the Ood and the Doctor had picked a destination especially for her current situation that she thought complaining would seem ungrateful. After walking for a while she could start to hear more footsteps and other noises, like people working, but there were no voices, no talking.  
“We are now in the Ood city,” the Doctor answered her unspoken question.  
“Why is no one talking?”  
“Oods communicate telepathically. When humans enslaved them they gave the Oods a communication interface like Ood Sigma has. That's why we can talk to him normally. Once we're inside their temple I will open your mind to them so you'll be able to hear.”  
“What? You're saying you can hear them?” Clara was more surprised than she should have been.   
When the wind stopped Clara knew they had stepped into a sheltered area and the Doctor announced that they were now entering the Ood temple. It was still cold inside, but the lack of icy wind instantly made her feel a lot warmer. Clara let the Doctor guide her to a pew, or at least she thought it was a pew since they were inside a temple, but she couldn't be entirely sure. The Doctor slid into the seat next to her.  
“Are you comfortable?” he whispered.  
“Yes, it's much better in here,” she gave him a smile.  
“Good. You ready?”  
Clara nodded and when she sat upright she suddenly felt the Doctor's hands on her temples. His touch left her skin tingling.   
It felt as if someone had flicked a switch inside her brain. Clara couldn't quite tell where the music was coming from as she didn't think she heard it with her ears at all. It was as if the Ood were inside her head, singing. It was not one, but rather a whole choir. She didn't understand the words, but the sound they made was no less beautiful.   
“Do you like it?” the Doctor asked quietly.  
“It's wonderful,” she replied.

They sat in silence for a long time without speaking or moving, listening to the peaceful song of the Ood. Clara found it to be absolutely soothing and comforting, yet she was moved by how festive and powerful the music was.  
“It's the song of freedom,” the Doctor said but Clara immediately shushed him. For once she didn't care about the meaning of something. For once she just wanted to take in what she could and enjoy it. She reached across the Doctor's lap and found his hand. For a moment Clara thought he would jerk back, yet he allowed the touch and held her hand tightly in his. 

 

**OOO**

“I am freezing,” Clara complained once they were back inside the TARDIS. All of the Doctor's attempts to make her take off the coat failed, no matter how much he insisted she would warm up more quickly without it.   
“How about I draw you a bath? Huh? Nice, hot bath,” he finally suggested.   
Clara thought about it for a moment and eventually agreed, the prospect of a warm bubble bath already unfreezing her toes at the mere thought of it.  
Clara threw the coat aside and the Doctor gently took her by the arm and started to lead her into the direction of the bathroom, when he suddenly stopped.  
“Oh, I had almost forgotten. I found the bell,” he explained and slid something into the pocket of her cardigan, “And I also got you a stick. I'll leave it by the bathroom door.”  
Clara smiled at him.  
“Thank you. You've become very considerate,” she remarked with a smirk.  
“Yes, and as soon as you'll be able to see again I will go back to being an asshole,” the Doctor replied with an odd tone to his voice.  
“You're not an asshole. You're just. . . less user friendly as you used to be. But that's okay,” Clara said calmly. It had taken her a while to get used to it, as was probably natural for anyone whose best friend had changed so abruptly. It had probably been especially hard for her because at the same moment the old Doctor was gone Clara had realized just how much she loved him.   
The Doctor said nothing until they had reached the bathroom. He turned on the hot water and handed Clara a clean towel from the rack.   
“I'll leave the stick by the door. You're room is right across the corridor. If you need anything else, you can just ring the bell,” the Doctor explained to her, his voice still somehow odd.  
“What? But my room didn't use to be right across the bathroom?!”  
“I moved the bathroom closer to you. I thought it might make things a little more easy for you,” he cleared his throat.  
“You really have grown more considerate.”  
A wide smile started to spread across her face and Clara couldn't help it. She really didn't fully understand what had brought about this change in the Doctor and she refused to believe that her current predicament was the only reason for it. 

“I've never fully thanked you,” Clara suddenly realized, “You've done so much for me these past few days. I don't know what I would have done without you.”  
“Well, first of all, without me you would never have gone blind in the first place.”  
“I didn't mean it like that. The Ood planet was wonderful. Cold, but wonderful. Thank you for that.”  
Clara reached out and grabbed the Doctor by both of his arms. Going on tiptoes she stretched and intended to place a peck on the Doctor's cheek. Only seconds later, too late, Clara realized that she had missed her target. For a moment she thought about pulling back and awkwardly apologizing to the Doctor for the unintentional kiss, but he somehow drew her even closer so that she fell against his chest and wrapped his arms around her without meaning to let go. Clara opened her mouth, reluctant at first, but when she felt his tongue brush over her own she forgot that all of this hadn't been at all planned. All she could think about was how nice it felt to have him so close and how her legs were starting to wobble. Clara had never admitted to herself how much she had wanted this, wanted him. Ever since he had changed it had just seemed out of the question. But now she had him, or he had her and she didn't want to let go. Until the Doctor broke the kiss abruptly.

“I, erm, I'm sorry,” he spluttered, “I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. That was not. That's not what I. . . Sorry,” Clara could hear his footsteps retreating, “Take your bath. I'll see you later.”  
And suddenly the door closed and Clara could feel the emptiness of the room around her. For a moment she considered running after him, but in her current state she had no chance whatsoever of catching up with him. If he wanted to run and hide, she would never be able to find him, so Clara decided to leave him alone for a while. The kiss was wonderful, yet unexpected. The Doctor was probably even more confused than Clara was and needed a moment to think. Yes, it would be for the best to give him some time.  
With that decision made Clara started to take off her clothes and stepped inside the hot water although she wasn't exactly cold anymore. The bath was nice nonetheless and it also gave Clara a chance to gather her own thoughts. 

Kissing the Doctor had felt strange and familiar at the same time, like something she had always wanted and yet never thought of. But now that she had acquired a taste for it she knew that she definitely wanted to do it again and Clara was really hoping the Doctor wouldn't mind.   
But he wouldn't, would he? After all, he had probably seen what she was about to do and he could have turned his head so that the kiss would have ended up on his cheek. But he hadn't stepped back, hadn't turned his head. Instead he had pulled her closer and transformed her peck into a full blown kiss. With tongues. He had definitely wanted it.

 

**OOO**

 

When the water was starting to grow cold Clara decided that she had given the Doctor enough time to gather his thoughts and wrapped herself in a towel. She found a walking stick by the door and made her way to her room to find some fresh clothes. She picked a dress, fearing she would otherwise combine two colours that really didn't go together. She picked the stick back up and slowly started to make her way to the console room.   
When she arrived and called out for the Doctor however there was no reply. Clara pressed the button on the bell he had given her and waited, but again nothing happened.  
“Coward,” Clara cursed under her breath and turned around on her heels. At first she was just going to go back to her room when suddenly an idea came to her mind and she turned back into the direction of the TARDIS console.  
“Hey, you helped me out last time and I'm reeeaaally grateful for that. But you could do me one more tiny little favour?” Clara asked and the TARDIS gurgled a little more loudly in response.  
“Oh, thank you. See, the Doctor is being an idiot again and I think he's hiding from me. Could you lead me to where he is right now?”  
Clara could hear more loud gurgling and took it as a yes. She turned around and followed her instincts along the corridors, or rather she followed the TARDIS' mental instructions. She couldn't quite tell for how long she walked through those corridors, another thing Clara had noticed ever since she had gone blind: time seemed to be passing not quite the way she expected it to. She stopped every now and then to turn around a corner, hoping she wouldn't get lost in this labyrinth or she'd really be in trouble, until her stick finally hit an obstacle. Clara outstretched her hand and found a door knob.   
Thinking it would be rude to just enter without permission, Clara knocked instead.  
“How did you find me?” the Doctor's voice came from the other side of the door. He sounded beaten.  
“The TARDIS helped out. Can I come in?”  
“Traitor!” she heard his voice again, though this time he spoke to his time machine.   
There was no reply to her question, but the Doctor also hadn't said no so Clara reached for the doorknob again and stepped inside.   
“Where are we?” Clara asked curiously, not daring to make another step forward once she was inside the room.  
“My bedroom. Where I usually go when I want to be alone,” he stressed the last word a little too much as if Clara didn't already know she was intruding.   
“Doctor, we need to talk. You can't just run away and hide.”  
“I don't wanna talk.”  
“But I do,” Clara insisted, “I know the last few days have been a bit intense and you're usually not too keen on physical contact but. . . Doctor, can I sit down? This really isn't a comfortable position for a long conversation.”  
She could hear the rustling of a large amount of fabric and after that steps coming closer before the Doctor took her by the hand and led her to sit on his bed. A moment later she could feel him sit down next to her.   
“Okay, let's start over,” Clara said and took a deep breath, “I know you don't like touching people. I was under the impression that you were starting to deal with it after Christmas but I think the last few days were a bit. . .”  
“A bit what?”  
“Well, a bit much for your standards.”  
“You kind of depended on me leading you around. Otherwise I wouldn't have.”  
“But that's the thing, Doctor. I didn't think you really minded touching me, or holding my hand, or. . . kissing me,” Clara instinctively turned her head away from where he was sitting, although she couldn't see him in the eyes whether she had wanted to or not.   
The Doctor remained silent and if Clara hadn't felt his weight next to her she wouldn't have been sure if he had secretly left.  
“Talk to me, Doctor.”  
“Of course I don't mind touching you,” he said hesitantly.   
“Then why did you act like you don't like it for so long?” Clara wanted to know. She really couldn't make sense of him right now.  
“Well, because I'm not Bowtie anymore,” the Doctor replied angrily, “My appearance has changed but my feelings have not. I kept you at arm's length so you wouldn't get any ideas.”  
Clara let out a nervous laugh. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?  
“What kind of ideas, Doctor? That you like me a little more than you probably should?”  
He remained silent again.   
“Well, has it ever occurred to you that I might feel the same way?” Clara asked honestly.  
“No,” the Doctor replied hesitantly, “Not really.”  
“You are an idiot,” Clara said and reached across the bed to find his hand. She thought for a moment that he was going to back off but he didn't, so she moved a little closer. Her other hand rose to where she suspected his face was and found his cheek.  
“I don't care what face you wear. You are the Doctor. It took me a while to see it, but my feelings for you haven't changed either. Now, please, will you kiss me again?”  
“I may have changed but you're still bossy,” the Doctor remarked.  
“Well, in that case, shut up and do as you are told.”

A moment later she could feel the Doctor's hands cup her cheeks and he slowly pulled her closer until their lips met. He was insecure at first, the way his lips touched her own almost shy and Clara found her hands tremble again. Her heart started to flutter with excitement and she wanted to push for more, but she was afraid the Doctor would feel overwhelmed by it. He buried his hands deep into her hair and Clara slid her palms across his chest, feeling the twin heartbeat more prominent than usual. Finally he opened his mouth to let her inside, their tongues exploring carefully, yet longingly until she could hear a soft moan escape his throat. And suddenly he pulled back from her and the bed next to her felt empty.  
“Doctor?! What's wrong?” she asked, afraid he might have changed his mind again, “Where have you gone?”  
“Don't worry, “ she heard his voice from across the room, “I was only switching off the light.”  
“Why?”  
The mattress sank in under his weight again.  
“Because I want to experience it exactly like you do. If you can't see, then neither will I.”  
“That's kind of. . . oh,” Clara uttered in surprise as the Doctor suddenly pushed her unto the mattress, though it was an entirely pleasant surprise. His lips were back on hers within seconds and the weight of his body had her pinned to the sheets. Clara let her hands wander over his back, finally anchoring in his curly hair that she found felt so much better than it looked. When his mouth left hers Clara was already on the verge of protesting but he was starting to trail his lips down her neck. His touch was so gentle, barely a kiss at all but his breath on her skin gave her goosebumps. She craved for more of this. More of this touch. More of him. More of anything.  
Clara parted her legs under him and pushed her hips up, pressing herself against his crotch and causing some terribly unsatisfying friction.  
“Oh Clara,” he breathed unto the skin of her chest, a sound that she had never expected to hear from the Doctor. It sounded so needy, almost carnal and it sent jolts of pleasure through her body. She could feel her sex twitch at mere thought of this exact sound.   
One of his hands was on her thigh now, gently caressing her skin and making its way up where it stopped, much to Clara's frustration.   
“What's wrong, Doctor?” she asked, her voice sounding a lot more hoarse than she had expected, “Please, go on. Don't stop there.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Absolutely,” Clara replied determinedly and suddenly sat up, pushing the Doctor down on his bed in one swift movement.   
Without thinking she grabbed her dress by the hem and pulled it over her head. To hell with clothes. The less fabric separated her from the Doctor the better. Once she had thrown the dress aside she bent over the Doctor's chest and started undoing his buttons.   
“Just so you know,” she said casually, “I couldn't find the drawer with my underwear.”  
The Doctor didn't reply, but she soon felt his hands on her back, trying to figure out whether she had told him the truth. When they had determined the lack of underwear one of his hands moved back to the front, a finger sliding delicately across her clit. Needily Clara pushed her hips forward to meet him and gasped when his finger pushed into her wetness. Repeating the movement, he dug deeper into her with every jolt. She instinctively reached for his belt, trying to open it and the Doctor seemed all of a sudden more than happy to help her with it. She hated it when he withdrew his finger from her, but she was also keen on getting him out of his clothes, when suddenly a thought came to her mind.  
Before she pulled down his trousers she stopped.  
“Doctor,” she began hesitantly, “You are like. . . I mean. . . anatomically. . . you're like a human man, right?”  
“Yes,” he replied, sounding slightly out of breath.  
Clara didn't think she would have stopped even if the answer had been no, so she grabbed his trousers and pants and pulled them down in one go. She felt the Doctor sit up in front of her and his hands were on hips, pulling her almost up to his lap. His skin felt a lot warmer now, almost as warm as her own and she reached down and found his cock, big and hard and already leaking with excitement. Clara's initial instinct was to sit on him, pushing her itching sex down on his erection and riding him until she couldn't think straight, but instead she bowed down and and wrapped her wet lips around the tip. The Doctor groaned loudly as she sucked him into her mouth. Her hand found his balls, kneading them softly and in return the Doctor pushed his hips upwards, fucking her mouth until he met the back of her throat. The sounds escaping his mouth were so feral, so unlike the Doctor that they scared and aroused Clara at the same time. She knew they couldn't keep this up for much longer or Clara would go mad with her desire to feel him inside of her, so she pressed her lips together hard and let him push inside her mouth one last time before she pulled away. His breath was audible now, fast and ragged and slowing only now that she had pulled him out of his frenzy.   
Clara sat back up and positioned herself on top of his lap before slowly sinking down on his cock. She couldn't prevent the moan coming from the back of her throat when he entered her. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her and pulled her head down for a sloppy, passionate kiss. Clara started riding him, slowly at first and then increasing her speed as he met her rhythm, thrusting harder inside her each time. The touch and scent of him were overwhelming, flooding her brain with more information than she could cope with at the moment as he kept thrusting into her.  
“Oh God, yes,” she found herself mutter against her will as he hit her sweet spot and his hands pulled her hips down more forcefully. Her gasps were covered by his kisses and she heard him utter a few Gallifreyan words between his ragged breaths.   
“Clara,” he panted, his hands trying hard to find somewhere on her back to hold onto, begging her to go faster with actions where he could no longer find the words.  
“Huh-uh, Clara replied in a high pitched voice. She was starting to lose control over their rhythm, trying to go faster and nearing climax. She clenched her muscles, causing the Doctor to utter a coarse, throaty groan as he was spilling inside of her. With a last hard thrust he dragged Clara with him and she thought she cried out when she felt the waves over pleasure crushing over her as his body grew stiff beneath her and he sank back down unto the bed. Clara sighed with satisfaction as she nestled her head against his chest and for a long while they just lay there, listening to the other's slowly calming breath.   
Finally the Doctor moved again, wrapping his arms tightly around her and pulling her closer to his own body.  
“Why did we wait so long to do this?” Clara asked when her breathing had returned to normal.   
“We're both idiots,” the Doctor replied with a chuckle.  
“Okay, yeah, that's one reason,” Clara said with a frown, “But promise me this, Doctor: We'll do it again when I've regained my sight. This was . . . I don't even think there is a proper word for it, but I want the whole thing. I want to see you while we do it.”  
“I was kind of hoping we could repeat it. . . sooner.”  
Clara laughed. “Yeah, sooner works, too.”  
She closed her arms around his chest, breathing in his scent and for the first time she truly appreciated the newly found closeness they were sharing. As bad as it was to be blind for a week or two, her and the Doctor finally admitting their feelings to each other probably wouldn't have happened otherwise.   
“I love you,” Clara found herself say, finally uttering something that had been on her lips for years. She didn't care whether the Doctor said it back now, or ever. She knew he wasn't exactly like a human in that perspective. Nonetheless Clara felt like it really needed to be said.  
“I love you, too,” The Doctor replied and placed a kiss on her head.


End file.
